Community Service Programs are the heart of our club – this is where it all happens!

Our club members touch the lives of others in so many ways.

Arts & Culture CSP

Organizes art projects and art contests for students and club members. Art related events are also planned for children throughout the year to promote an appreciation for the Arts.

Starting in the 2014-2015 Club year, an annual Art Scholarship will be awarded to an outstanding Hollidaysburg Area High School Art Student.

Projects include:

Selection of Arts Scholarship Winner
Art Contests
Decorations for Tureen Dinner – our first club meeting of the year
Crafts for Pumpkinfest

Education & Libraries CSP

Selects the recipients of our annual Academic Scholarships; Adult Woman’s Scholarship, Senior Student Scholarship, and Community Service Award.

Members of this Department also work with the Hollidaysburg Area High School Guidance Office to provide awards for junior students in various curricula.

Projects include:

Scholarship Application
Selection of Scholarship Winners
Community Outreach Collection of school supplies and clothing items for students in need

Civic Engagement & Outreach CSP

Focuses on an international project each year such as involving international exchange students in club events and projects.

Club members have made donations to help support hurricane victims and to women living in rural areas of foreign countries.

Projects include:

Operation Smile
Heifer International
Shot@Life
Uganda Water Project/Humankind Water Grant

Environment CSP

Dedicated to encouraging others to become actively involved in environmental affairs and the beautification of our community. We have combined two Departments, Conservation and the Community Improvement Project.

Outstanding two-year Community Improvement Programs receive recognition from GFWC and GFWC Pennsylvania.

Projects include:

Kid Alert A community awareness and abduction prevention program
Tot Park at Canal Basin
Kids’ Kingdom Play Park The construction of this park happened in just 5 days
Kids’ Kingdom Play Park and Canal Basin Park Renovation Project PHASE I AND PHASE II This is an on-going project – renovations continue at both parks

Health & Wellness CSP

Focuses on helping and supporting local economically challenged families through a variety of means. Food, clothing, and shoe drives are organized.

Additionally, all club members voluntarily donate essential items from prepared “wish lists” fromlocal organizations. Lists are published in our Newsletter and items are collected at the meetings. Club members deliver the donations personally. Organizations receiving support include: senior citizens, Domestic Abuse Shelter, Teen Shelters, Mending Hearts Animal Rescue, the Humane Society, area food banks, and more.

Projects include:

Thanksgiving Food Drive Distributed to 5-6 local food banks
Holiday Gift Drive
Monthly Collection/Donations
Coupon, Soda Tab, Magazine Collections

Note: All projects mentioned above support local families in need and nonprofit organizations throughout Blair County.

GFWC Signature Program: Domestic Abuse Awareness & Prevention

By supporting existing activities, working with various established programs, and initiating educational opportunities for club members and local citizens, the goal of the GFWC Signature Project: Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention is to increase awareness and prevention of the widespread occurrence of domestic abuse in communities across the nation.

Projects include:

Bath Buddy Baskets – This project supported children who were having a difficult time adjusting during their stay at the shelter. The project offered moms a unique way to bond with their child as many featured fun bathing toys or puppet style washcloths. An array of bath products were donated.
Coupon, Soda Tab, Magazine Collections
100 Individual clients benefited through our Grant Program with our donation of $1,500 for the Family Services, Inc., Justice Project to provide clients with money to pay for custody supervision fees and postage fees associated with serving legal documents on their abusers.

Community Involvement

DISCOVERY GARDEN

The Discovery Garden was created in memory of Courtney Leigh Claton, who passed away unexpectedly in 1997.

The garden was developed from donations made to The Skills Foundation in her memory. In 1998, Courtney’s mother, Karen Claton, a 20 year member of our Club, began coordinating the garden after suggestions made by employees of Skills. The Discovery Garden was dedicated on September 17, 2000, with the help of friends, family, and members of our community.

The Discovery Garden features seven unique themed gardens including the Children’s Garden, sponsored by the GFWC Hollidaysburg Area Women’s Club. Our Clubwomen were part of the original Steering Committee working on design elements for the Children’s Garden and the theme gardens.

2015 GFWC HAWC Discovery Garden Volunteers

We celebrated the 15th Anniversary of Discovery Garden in 2015!

Volunteer at the Discovery Garden
Clubwomen and other community members who share the love of gardening and those who just love the garden, volunteer their time on Thursdays at 9AM April through October. No gardening experience necessary.

Educational Programs at Discovery Garden
Clubwoman, Leslie Smith, continues to work with the Hollidaysburg area schools conducting educational tours and planting annuals. The students learn about the fragile nature of ecosystems and respecting and caring for the garden. Students also learn about various types of plants and trees, pollinators, beneficial insects and garden pests, the life cycle of the butterfly and plants needed to sustain caterpillars. They also learn about the sundial and sun time as opposed to clock time as they view the largest horizontal sundial on the east coast. 183 students enjoyed this program during the spring of 2014.

Annual Plant Sale
Support the Discovery Garden by volunteering or attending the Plant Sale held annually in May. Beautiful plants and garden accessories are available.

“Discovery Garden remains a unique partnership among the Hollidaysburg Area Women’s Club, Blair County Garden Club, Borough of Hollidaysburg, The Skills Foundation and community volunteers, and it has become part of the fabric and tradition of the Hollidaysburg community.” www.discoverygardenpa.com

Collection of Essential Items at Club Meetings

Club Members donate essential items from wish lists created by organizations throughout Blair County. The organizations we support are selected by members of our Home Life Committee. The detailed list for the 2018-2019 club year is published in our Newsletter which includes:

September – STEP AWAY FROM FROM ABUSE SOCK COLLECTION October – BOSCOV’S SHOPPING SPREE
December – SNOWMAN PROJECT Holiday Gift Drive
March – ST. PATRICK’S DAY DINNER AND DANCE
April – DOMESTIC ABUSE SHELTER
MAY – VETERAN’S HOME

Holiday Gift Drives
Club members donate new clothing items for children of families who are in need. Committee members work with school nurses to create and coordinate personal wish lists. Families are kept confidential by the school nurses.

Local senior citizens have benefited from our Easter Basket and Valentine’s Day projects. Clubwomen shop for essential items from personal wish lists.